Andrew Stegmann

Lesotho nationals worried they will miss permit deadline

Many still await documents that they need to complete application

Lesotho nationals living and working in De Doorns are not sure whether they will be able to meet the application deadline (30 September) for the Lesotho Special Permit (LSP), says Owen Maromo from People Against Suffering Oppression and Poverty (PASSOP), an immigrant rights organisation.

LSP is a project initiated by the South African and Lesotho governments to regularise Lesotho nationals living and working in South Africa. The initial closing date was 30 June 2016 but this was extended.

According to a GroundUp report in May only 500 out of about 5,000 Lesotho nationals living and working in De Doorns had managed to successfully apply for LSP by 30 June 2016.

In August the Lesotho and South African governments ran a programme in De Doorns, Worcester and Ceres assisting Lesotho nationals to apply for birth certificates and identity documents since most of them were not in possession of these, which are necessary to apply for an LSP.

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Andrew Stegmann

Treasury denies Malusi Gigaba’s travel request

HOME Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba had a request for cushier travel for his staff turned down.

Gigaba had sought permission from Treasury — whose belt-tightening measures for government include travel costs — for his staff to travel business class.

The motivation for the deviation from the Treasury’s cost-containment measures read: “The minister was inconvenienced and had to further wait for the disembarking of the personnel assistant from another terminal to be able to proceed with the trip which resulted in the minister arriving late for scheduled appointments.”

In refusing Gigaba’s request, Treasury said these time delays should be taken into account by the Department of Home Affairs when planning official trips.

This emerged in Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s answers to parliamentary questions from the DA.

DA finance spokesman David Maynier applauded Treasury’s resolve in the face of some departments’ resistance to the measures.

“To National Treasury’s credit, it turned down 22 of 28 requests for deviations from cost containment measures between April 1 2015 and July 31 2016,” Maynier said.

“The minister of finance, Pravin Gordhan, is clearly desperately trying to hold the fiscal line but his belt-tightening measures are being resisted by ministers and officials too accustomed to the high life.

We will have to identify big-spending ministers who are undermining cost-containment measures being implemented by National Treasury.”

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Andrew Stegmann

South Africa has new spy boss

Arthur Fraser is the new Director General and Accounting Officer of the State Security Agency (SSA). His appointment was announced on Monday by State Security Minister David Mahlobo.

Making the announcement‚ Minister Mahlobo expressed full confidence in Fraser. “We believe Mr Fraser is equal to the task and will provide the necessary leadership that will ensure the Agency is able to deliver on its constitutional and legal mandate of upholding national security.”

Fraser was quoted in the Ministry statement as saying he appreciated the confidence shown in him and said he was committed to “working with the Ministry and the entire membership of the Agency to deliver on the mandate”.

The Ministry statement noted: “Mr Fraser is not new in the intelligence community‚ having served in various operational capacities that culminated in his appointment as the DDG: Operations in the former National Intelligence Agency (NIA). He also served as a DDG in the Department of Home Affairs responsible for Immigration Services. He brings with him immense understanding and knowledge of the intelligence environment and his astute managerial experience which will help move the organization forward.”

Fraser was once regarded as a supporter of former president Thabo Mbeki when he was head of the NIA’s powerful operations division.

The M& G reported in 2009 that he had “saved” President Jacob Zuma’s political life when he allegedly leaked to Zuma’s lawyers the secret recordings that let him off the hook on corruption charges.

In late April 2016‚ however‚ the High Court in Pretoria set aside the prosecuting authority’s decision to drop corruption charges against Zuma.

Current National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP)‚ Shaun Abrahams‚ has the responsibility of deciding whether to proceed with a prosecution.

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Andrew Stegmann

Mandela’s cell becomes a moving history on the move

Cape Town – Standing outside a replica of the tiny cell which was the home of then political prisoner Nelson Mandela for 18 years, has brought back powerful memories for anti-apartheid stalwart Ahmed Kathrada.

On Monday, Uncle Kathy, as he is affectionately known, stared through the window of the tiny room, remembering life on Robben Island.

He himself spent 18 years behind similar bars after being convicted in the 1964 Rivonia treason trial of sabotage and attempting to overthrow the then government.

“Our history is important,” he said, following the official opening of the mobile replica cell at Spine Road High School in Mitchells Plain.

 “This cell was part of the struggle. While being held here, what we looked forward to in the end was victory. We can’t forget the past. It can never be forgotten. But we must know the future, what we went through to achieve the future. That is more important.”
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